


The Wedding II

by gubernaculum



Series: The Namesakes [15]
Category: Highlander: The Series, Torchwood
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-09
Updated: 2019-05-09
Packaged: 2020-02-29 00:42:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,967
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18767674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gubernaculum/pseuds/gubernaculum
Summary: A purely fluffy piece centered around my original character relationships





	The Wedding II

**Author's Note:**

> As my series is coming to a close, I've polished up some in-between pieces and decided to post them.

Fish smoothed the front of his waistcoat, again. The photographers had just left to set up in the sanctuary. They'd already taken a dizzying array of shots with him in more than half a dozen poses and that wasn’t including the ones if him shaking the hands of his male relatives and friends. His future husband might despise photographs, but it wasn't apparent in the photographer he'd hired. Fish wondered if the spots behind his eyes from the flashes would ever go away. His face was starting to hurt from smiling on demand. He tugged at his collar, trying to loosen it. He could easily slip a few fingers in, but he felt like the thing was strangling him. 

“Joe, stop!” Robert said, batting his hands out of the way. 

“I can’t fucking breathe,” Fish barked at his brother-in-law. 

Robert was a deacon for his church back in Perth. Fish had never heard the man swear. He frowned, deeply. "You know you're in a church, right, Joe?"  

Annoyed, Fish pointed at the ceiling. "Yeah, I got that. God can smite me if he wants." 

Tom reached up, slipping his own fingers into the collar. “You got plenty of room in there. Dial it down, Joe, before God decides to take you up on that offer, sends rain, and my father has a coronary." 

He gave Robert a nervous glance. "Uhh..." 

"It's okay, Tom. He knows," Fish said. 

Tom gestured at Robert and said, "Then why did you use the kid brother story when you introduced me?" 

"Because that was four days ago and I didn't know then," Robert said, rolling his eyes. “They told Anna and I yesterday." 

Tom nodded and held out his hand. "Tom Blount, nice to meet you. I'm Henry's son." 

"Good to meet you, too. I'm Robert Norton, Joe’s brother-in-law, who's trying to pretend this is an entirely normal situation so I don't offend," he said, taking Tom's hand. 

Tom laughed. "It's not, and trust me, you won't. I get this is completely nuts.” 

Robert nodded, nervously, "Good, because I’m on the edge of a breakdown."

Tom winked at him then turned to Fish. He chuckled at the nervous groom. “I never thought I'd see you a nervous wreck. You’re usually cool as a cucumber. Take a deep breath… or ten.” Trying to lighten the mood, he asked with mock seriousness, “So, when can I start calling you Dad?” 

Fish shot him a look of absolute death and Robert snorted laughter. Technically, Henry's adopted son wasn’t wrong. After today, Fish would be his step-father even though Tom was barely a year and a half younger than he was. He tried not to think about how that made him feel older than dirt. “Tom, you’re one of my best mates, so I know you won’t take offence, when I tell you to shut the fuck up. Stop ripping the fucking piss out of me! For fuck's sake, it's my wedding day!” 

Tom’s eyes went wide. “Christ, Joe! God’s really gonna smite us, you keep that up!”

“And I think I’m going to get out of the line of holy fire. I’m going to check on Anna and the kids,” Robert said. He turned towards the door and left the room. 

Tom smiled and said, “I think we offended your brother-in-law.”

Fish snorted and teased, “ You’re the one breaking commandments.”

“What? You’re dropping f-bombs right, left, and center!” Tom cried, indignant.

“Swearing is one thing. You’re the one actually taking the Lord’s name in vain!” Fish laughed. He jerked his thumb to the crucifix on the wall. 

“Okay I’ll give you that one,” Tom replied with a laugh. “My old man had me in church every Sunday. I did all my sacraments to make him happy. But it never took. I’m not really one for church.”

“Me neither,” Fish said. 

“Relax, Joe. Pop’s got this whole thing planned down to how many steps he’s taking down the aisle with me. Everything’s gonna be fine.” 

Fish smiled but it immediately vanished. “You know, Tom, I just realised I never asked how you felt about all this.” 

“About what?” 

“Me marrying your father,” Fish said, jerking his head towards the rest of the church. 

Tom waved around the room. His smile broadened, then he teased, “Bit late to ask for my permission now, don’t you think?” 

He walked over to Fish. He squeezed his shoulder and smiled. “Listen, Joe, I’m an adult. I see my old man for who he is, and back in the beginning, I was worried about him breaking your heart." 

Fish snorted. "Yeah I thought you were going to give me the 'if you hurt my father I'll kick your arse' speech, and you were warning me off him." 

Tom shrugged. "Pop's got a bad track record, but I’m sure he’s told you all about that by now."

Fish snorted. “Yeah, I met one of them. What a tosser.  Still surprised I’m not just some fling, eh?” 

Tom gave him a wry smile. “I got to meet some of those flings over the years and it might not be the most romantic thing for me to say, but some of them could’ve turned into something if Pop’d let them, but he never let things get that far. He never let anything get too serious and never gave anyone a chance. I’m glad he finally met someone he was willing to let in. I never thought I’d see him walk down an aisle, that’s for damn sure.” 

He cleared his throat and said, "You and my old man are good for each other. He's happier than I' ve ever seen him. That's all I want for him and what more can I ask for?” Tom slipped both his hands in his pockets and took on a serious tone. “I never thought I’d live to see him fall in love. I thought I’d go to my grave and he’d be left here. Alone.”

“I hate to break it to you, mate, but I’m a little older than you are and I’m probably going to go first,” Fish joked. 

Tom looked at the cross on the wall and said, “It’s my greatest fear that we’ll go at the same time. And I pray to whoever’s listening that they spare my old man that crushing heartbreak.”

Fish suppressed a shudder and looked up at the cross too. “Amen.”

Tom crosses himself, and for what was the first time in decades, Fish did also. 

There was a light knock at the door. Without waiting for an answer, Gwen cracked it, leaning inside. “Everything all right in here? I just came to check on you.” 

Fish reached out, hugging his friend. “Just a bit nervous.” 

“A bit?” Tom laughed. “He won’t let me call him Dad.” 

“Well, I should think not,” Gwen said, sternly. She wagged her finger at him.

Tom shrank away from the motherly tone, muttering to Fish. “Christ, she reminds me of Ma when she talks like that.” 

She turned her attention back to Fish. “Can I get you some water, pet?” 

“I’ll be fine, Gwen,” Fish said. He pulled out one of the chairs and sat down. The room was uncomfortably warm. “Have you seen Henry? How is he?” 

“He’s fine, shaking hands and saying hello, being his charming self,” Gwen said. She saw the sweat popping out on Fish’s face. She picked up a magazine and began fanning him with it. 

“How much of the government is out there?” he asked. 

“Ours? Or other countrys'?” Gwen asked, innocently. 

“Bloody hell, Gwen!” Fish said, standing up. He strode towards the door and both Tom and Gwen grabbed him. 

“Oh, no you don’t!” Tom said. He gave Gwen an accusatory glare that said,  oh that helped…

“What do you expect? You work closely with some of the highest levels of the British government and consulted with the Americans. You’re still our unofficial liaison to them. Ethan Donovan and quite a few members of Congress flew across a whole ocean to be here. If you didn’t want them here, you shouldn’t have invited them!” Gwen said. 

Fish sighed and sat back down. “Henry did. He said it would be rude if we didn’t.” 

Gwen said, “At least the President has to decline.”

Tom laughed. “Man, I have never been more curious about what it is you guys do until now. The President? Of the United States? Seriously?” 

Gwen added, "Prince Harry is out there." 

Tom's eyebrows shot up. "Prince Harry? You're shitting me?" 

Gwen slapped his arm. "Listen to you, swearing in a church! I should box your ears! Appalled, your father’d be!" 

Tom rolled his eyes. "Sorry, sorry!"

There was another knock. It was Ianto, and he didn’t wait for an answer before entering either. “Oi! Don’t sit! You’ll wrinkle your trousers!” 

Fish obediently stood, his hands raised in defeat. “Bloody hell…” 

Ianto walked over to his friend and held out his hand. “All right, give it here.” 

“Give what?” 

“Your ring,” Ianto said. He snapped his fingers impatiently. “C’mon. I forgot that you were still wearing them.” 

“Did you get Henry’s?” Fish asked. 

Ianto patted his jacket pocket. “Right here, safe and sound.” 

“Thanks, mate.” Fish reached over to his left hand and yanked. He twisted the ring, wiggling it back and forth. It was stuck. “FUCK ALL!” 

Gwen smacked his shoulder. “Oi! We’re in a church!” 

“It’s fucking stuck!” Fish said, pulling harder. He felt and heard the knuckles pop as he yanked. “Ow! Fucking Christ!” 

Tom rolled his eyes. "And you told me to not take the Lord’s name in vain?”

After glaring at him, she grabbed Fish's hands. “Stop it! You’ll make your finger swell!” She held his hand above his head. “Ianto, love, do you mind getting my purse from Rhys?” 

The Welshman obediently left the room in search of Gwen’s husband. He returned a few minutes later carrying the small beaded bag. He handed it to Gwen and she dug through it. Fish lowered his hand and Gwen barked, “Oi! Keep your hand up!” 

Fish raised his hand again and sighed. “I feel like I’m in bloody primary…” 

Ianto and Tom both started laughing at their friend. Gwen dug a travel size bottle of hand lotion out of her bag. She squirted a small amount on Fish’s finger, working it around the ring. It took a fair amount of wiggling, but she managed to free it. 

“Thank God for that,” Fish said with a sigh. He gave the ring out to Ianto who immediately handed it to Tom. 

Tom took out a handkerchief and started wiping the lotion off. He examined it in the light, making sure it was clean. He slipped it into his pocket. He tugged on Fish’s arm, pulling the other man into a tight hug. He clapped him on the back, and said, quietly so Gwen and Ianto wouldn't hear. "I love you, man." 

Fish leaned back and smiled, squeezing Tom's arms. "I love you too, mate." 

Ianto and Gwen simultaneously said, “Awwww.” 

Fish rolled his eyes at them. “Leave off, you two.” 

“I’m gonna go find Pop,” Tom said with a wide smile. There was a high, watery shine to his eyes. He cleared his throat and then sniffled, hard. "Welcome to the family, Joe." 

Once Tom was gone, Ianto stepped towards him and turned his attention to adjusting Fish’s already pristine appearance. He tugged and pulled and brushed away nonexistent specks of dust. 

Fish batted his hands away. “Will you stop? Christ, I don’t know who’s worse, you or Henry!”

“I’m going to go sit with Rhys,” Gwen said, looking at her watch. She gave Fish a kiss on the cheek and wiped away the small smudge her lipstick made. Jack passed her on his way in. 

It was rare to see Jack Harkness in anything except his signature outfit, but he’d dressed for the occasion. His tuxedo matched Ianto’s. In fact, it was the same tuxedos they’d worn for their own wedding. The ascots and waistcoats were different, though; chosen to match the rest of the wedding party. 

“Did you get Steven sorted?” Ianto asked, giving his husband a quick kiss. 

Jack nodded as Ianto began primping and straightening his tuxedo. Knowing what was good for him, Jack tolerated it. 

Fish asked, “What happened?” 

“He didn’t want to wear his tie or coat,” Jack said, with a one shouldered shrug. “Alice was going spare on him.” 

“It’s not really that big of a deal,” Fish said with raised eyebrows. He rubbed at his left ring finger. It felt strange without his ring. 

“I worked out a compromise. He can take them off after the ceremony,” Jack said. He looked down at his tuxedo and asked, “Are you done yet?” 

That impatient comment earned him ‘The Frown’ and he said, “What? It’s almost time. We should get out there.” 

Fish's mouth was suddenly dry and he tried to swallow, but couldn't. His legs felt weak and he put his hand on the chair to steady himself. 

"Joe? You okay?" Jack asked. 

Fish nodded, but Ianto put his hand on him. "Joe?"

"Just... nervous..." he gasped. "No idea why though..." 

Ianto squeezed his shoulder. "Henry's already out there. He's here. And he's not going anywhere." 

Fish closed his eyes, feeling some of the nerves drain away. He nodded and took a deep breath. 

"C'mon, mate, let's get you married," Ianto said, smiling. 

Fish took a deep, shaky breath, then stepped out into the lavishly decorated church. Their venue had a room for ceremonies, but Henry had insisted they be married inside of a church. Originally, Henry had wanted to the ceremony inside a Catholic church, but they'd been unable to find a priest that would conduct the ceremony within church walls. He'd been sorely disappointed, but had settled for an Anglican church. 

Flowers were draped everywhere and there was a cellist playing. Though Fish had selected the music with Henry, he barely heard it as h e took his place in front. He paused, smiling and waving at a few guests. He reached out to shake hands with several people seated behind the front row.  He barely felt Ianto brushing his hands over his shoulders, probably straightening his jacket one last time. 

His sister gave him a little wave and snapped a few pictures with her phone, then made a funny face at him. After rolling his eyes at her, he moved to his spot with Ianto. 

Yesterday, Anna had told him how she wished their parents were here. But Fish knew it was just something his sister had been saying. He knew the moment he’d told them he was going to marry another man, neither his mother nor his father would have ever spoken to him ever again much less attended this wedding. He felt guilty and he was glad he hadn’t had to break their hearts. But his heart also ached that they couldn’t see how happy Henry made him. Truthfully, he was mostly speculating. Maybe they would've accepted him with time. 

Maybe...

As he looked around, he caught the eyes of several people, and waved in greeting. He kept hoping Miranda would walk in wearing some manner of ridiculous hat.  He'd suggested to Henry that they wait for her, but Henry had stamped out the idea. He didn't want to wait any longer and Miranda wouldn't have wanted them to do something like that. Still, she was one of his oldest friends. Doing this without her here made him a little sad.

He turned his attention to the another missing person- the large picture of Cameron MacDonald on the easel next to the altar. If it hadn't been for Cameron, Fish would never have lived to see his wedding day. The young doctor had saved Fish's life at the cost of his own. He closed his eyes and sent up a silent prayer for his friend.

The music began to play followed by the sound of everyone rising to their feet. Fish didn’t turn around right away. In fact, he was the only person still facing the altar. He made the action as conscious and deliberate as he could. Feeling each muscle, each rustle of his clothing, each shift of his feet in his shoes, he turned. His gaze swept past the aisle and settled on his sister. She was blinking back tears, clutching her own husband.  He thought, for just a second, out of the corner of his eye, that he saw the smiling faces of his parents over her shoulder, by the wall. He looked again and they were gone.  Just a trick of the light … he thought, dismissively. He stared down at his shoes for a moment. After taking a deep breath in, he raised his head and looked down the aisle.  

And forgot to exhale.

His eyes caught Henry’s and stayed there. There may have been a church full of guests, but they only saw each other. When asked, Fish wouldn’t be able to recall anything specific about Henry walking down that aisle. The only reason he even knew what Henry had been wearing was because the two of them had been in matching tuxedos. All he saw was the bemused expression on Henry’s face. It was the expression that had first won his heart. Also, when asked, he’d sadly confess he’d gone through the whole ceremony in a daze. He said the words. He placed the ring on Henry’s finger. They’d kissed softly. He’d blushed when everyone had cheered and clapped for them. But he’d been so blinded by love and happiness, all he could remember was Henry’s smile and the gentle scent of his new husband’s aftershave. 

And he wouldn’t have had it any other way.

 

 


End file.
